2008

2007

THE PECULARITIES OF LANGUAGE AT WORK IN THE LARGEST LITHUANIAN CITIES

Meilutė Ramonienė

Anotacija

The aim of the article is to disclose the tendencies of linguistic behaviour among residents of three largest Lithuanian cities (Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda) in work environment, to find out which languages are most often used by urban residents at work, to disclose the linguistic peculiarities in communication among different interlocutors, and to compare the linguistic behaviour of the residents of Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda at work. Based on the results of several representative sociolinguistic surveys, the article analyses the peculiarities of communication among different interlocutors (co-workers, managers and customers). The largest part of the article is occupied by the discussion of the most frequently used languages at work, i.e. Lithuanian, Russian and English. In addition, the article focuses on the correlation between language usage and such factors as age, education and ethnic identity.The analysis of the linguistic behaviour that the residents of the largest cities have demonstrated shows that the dominant language in labour environment is Lithuanian which is the state language. In all three cities Lithuanian is used in communication among workers most often and it is used with different interlocutors including colleagues, managers and customers. Kaunas is exceptional in the sense that the Lithuanian language is used in this city even more frequently than in Vilnius or Klaipėda. Lithuanian is used at work not only by Lithuanian residents but also by the non-native residents of the cities.The study has revealed that one language is not enough in professional environment of the largest cities. Although it is less frequent, the Russian language is used at work rather often too. This language is resorted to more frequently in Vilnius and Klaipėda. In these multilingual cities Russian is most commonly used in communication with co-workers, it is also rather often employed to speak with customers and less frequently used to talk with managers. This implies that Russian is not only the language of co-workers' communication inside companies, institutions and organisations but it is also necessary in communication with customers. The Russian language is significantly more common among non-Lithuanian residents of the cities, however, in the multi-lingual cities of Vilnius and Klaipėda, more than half of Lithuanian respondents appear to be using Russian language at work too. The usage of the Russian language is specific in Kaunas as well. In this city not only Lithuanians but also Russians and other ethnicity residents use this language considerably less often than the residents of Vilnius and Klaipėda.Lithuania's largest cities are facing quite a novel phenomenon - the introduction of English in professional environment. For the time being this language is not used at work very often, it is more commonly used in Vilnius and Klaipėda than in Kaunas. But the fact that the users of English are mostly young people who have better education and get larger income suggests that in the future the economic value of English will increase and the usage of this language at work in Lithuania is likely to increase.